JANUARY. 



590 



JANUARY. 



Spinach. Sow a row or two between 

 such crops as beans, peas, and the like, as 

 in such situations there will be a good 

 chance of obtaining an early crop. 



Trenching and Digging. All ground 

 that is yet unoccupied by crops, and has 

 not been already trenched, should be 

 trenched and thrown up into ridges at 

 once, in order to expose as much surface 

 as possible to the air, and to let in the frost 

 between the clods of earth, for the surface 

 should be left as rough as possible. Ground 

 intended for parsnips should be trenched 

 this month. 



Work Dependent on Weather. The 

 work to be done in the kitchen garden 

 in January depends altogether on the 

 weather. In open frosty weather no 

 opportunity should be lost for wheeling 

 manure on the vacant ground. All the 

 refuse about the grounds should be col- 

 lected and added to the manure heap, and 

 that burned or charred which will not 

 readily decompose, and added to it. 



January. Shrubbery, Work in. 



Shrubberies, Dressing. Shrubberies on 

 poor soils are much benefited by manur- 

 ing. The practice of raking every weed 

 and leaf off the surface, and cruelly dis- 

 rooting the plants by a deep winter or 

 spring digging, is altogether a mistake. 

 Once shrubberies are properly established 

 in good soil, no rake should ever cross 

 their surface, and every leaf that falls upon 

 them should be merely dug in at any time 

 from December to April, but the earlier the 

 better. Leaves are Nature's means of sus- 

 taining the fertility of the soil, and when- 

 ever or whenever they are removed and no 

 substitute for them takes their place, the soil 

 rapidly inclines towards sterility. 



Shrttbs, Cuttings of. Cuttings of the 

 young shoots of many sorts of hardy de- 

 ciduous shrubs may likewise now be 

 planted in open weather, inasmuch as they 



will be sure to take root in the spring and 

 summer, shoot at the top, and form strong 

 plants, with plenty of fibrous roots, by the 

 autumn. 



Shrubs and Trees, Planting. November 

 is undoubtedly the proper month for plant- 

 ing and transplanting every kind of deci- 

 duous tree and shrub, and evergreens as 

 well ; and, if possible, planting of all trees 

 and shrubs should be carried out by the 

 middle of December. This kind of work 

 should, therefore, be pushed forward in 

 mild open weather. All newly-planted 

 shrubs and trees should have their roots 

 protected with long litter or manure to pre- 

 serve them from injury. This surface dress- 

 ing is called mulching: the litter or 

 manure being a non-conductor tends in 

 winter to shield the roots from frost, and 

 to protect them in summer from the parch- 

 ing influence of the sun's rays. All trees 

 and shrubs, especially those of large size, 

 when newly-planted, should have the top 

 firmly secured to a strong stake so as to 

 keep it from swaying to and fro when the 

 wind is high. If this precaution be neg- 

 lected, the rootlets, which have begun to 

 take hold of the soil, will be dragged from 

 their moorings, and the first efforts of the 

 freshly-planted tree to take anchor in its 

 new position will be rendered of none 

 effect. Beds of hyacinths and tulips, in 

 whatever part of the garden they may be, 

 should be protected during severe weather, 

 as the spikes of leaf and bloom are often 

 injured when coming through the soil. 

 Mats supported on hoops may be used, or 

 the surface may be covered to the depth of 

 a few inches with cocoanut fibre. 



Shrubs, <5rY., Pruning. All deciduous 

 shrubs may now be pruned, and hedges con- 

 sisting of privet, beech, the white thorn or 

 hawthorn, &c., should be pruned and 

 trimmed, if this has not been already done, 

 and the bottom cleared of all weeds and 

 rubbish. Climbing roses, tea roses only 



